


Rise

by Mierin



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, F/M, Gender-neutral Reader, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-05
Updated: 2016-11-05
Packaged: 2018-08-29 07:02:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8479711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mierin/pseuds/Mierin
Summary: The year is 1944, the war continues with a vengeance, your work for the SOE puts you in greater danger with every mission, and a trip to London to deliver sensitive information to HQ leads to a chance encounter with Steve Rogers, the legendary Captain America.And yet, it is the man himself whom you are drawn to and so begins a weaving dance, because he believes that you hold his key, that you are his partner. 
[A Reincarnation AU that starts in CA:TFA and goes through CA:TWS.]





	1. I.0

When it comes to the person who holds your key– your soulmate, so to speak, though no one uses that word– you’ve always been told to trust your gut.

Most people say that you’ll know when you meet your partner, you’ll know even before they say or do whatever it is that will unlock your memories of past lives. That it’s an instinctual feeling that will spark up, and tell you that this is the one person you need to hold onto for the rest of your life- the rest of this life, and then do the same when you meet them in the next life, and the next, and the one after that.

Most people wait for their partner, look for them even.

And you’re no different, though you imagine your reasons for waiting are slightly different from the norm. Yes, there’s a part of you that finds the notion romantic, a part that dreams of finding that what you have with your partner is everlasting love- a love that began in centuries long past and will last for centuries to come.

There is a larger part of you that is far more practical but even then you know that your optimal chance for happiness lies with your partner.

And yet, you don’t really go out of your way to meet and assess as many potential candidates as you can, the way some of your friends have, the way your cousin had been doing until last week.

Her key had been a kiss on the cheek, a fairly common one, and you suppose that’s why she’s already found her partner though she’s years younger than you.

Or of course, it could be because you haven’t been looking, though you refuse to acknowledge that possibility.

If it truly is destiny– truly fate that dictates that there is only one person out there who is right for you, only one person who holds your key– then you’re certain that you’ll meet them anyway, that everything will work out.

It’s only logical.

But as the years pass by, and you join the SOE, you find that you have to fight harder and harder to reinforce your decision.

Every time you see some happy couple, or a pair of best friends who are perfectly in sync with each other, the disturbingly sharp pangs of jealousy flare up. And you wonder, with a distinctly bitter taste in your mouth, exactly how much longer _you_ will have to wait for a connection like that.

Because as the days pass, you’re becoming increasingly aware of the dangers presented by your line of work, and you have begin to wonder if you will die before you ever meet this elusive person.

After all, it has been known to happen.

Or worse, you and your partner could be one of those rare few who are cursed with a time-lock, for whom the key will not work until an exact time that differs from one life to the next.

And now, passing through London for the first time since the war had begun in earnest, the infernal turmoil raging in your brain as a result of all the wondering and bitterness is stronger than ever.

And you find that the only way to keep your thoughts in check is to keep your head down and avoid looking at any of the people around you. Needless to say, you’re more than a little relieved when you arrive at the headquarters of the SSR.


	2. I.i

****

**London**

**March, 1944**

You are no fresh-faced innocent to be standing around gawking and indulging in hero worship, no indeed, and you are here on a mission of great importance.

But this is Steve Rogers. Captain America. Leader of the Howling Commandos. The man’s practically a legend.

No one told you that you’d have to actually talk to him.

And considering that the meeting comes barely minutes after you’ve been introduced to Agent Carter, you’re more than a little overwhelmed.

_Snap out of it, ___, before he thinks you’re an idiot._

“Captain Rogers,” you greet in a rush, sticking out your hand. He hesitates for a second, eyes flicking away from yours to the ground, and that single instant is all it takes for you to realize- he thinks that this is his key, a simple handshake.

You begin to withdraw your hand, not wanting to inconvenience him, but before you can finish the motion his eyes flash back up to yours and he grasps your hand firmly in his.

Nothing.

There is no rush of memories, no instant connection - the world doesn’t suddenly fall into place.

You can’t help feeling a little disappointed, but then again, this probably isn’t even your key anyway - it would be far too simple. And then there’s the fact that a similar flicker of disappointment plays across his face too- that definitely helps.

“Agent ___,” he greets, dropping your hand, “I hear you’re the one that’s going to fill in the gaps on our map.”

“I certainly hope I can,” you reply, inordinately proud of the fact that you don’t let those gray-blue eyes rattle you into stuttering.

 He looks like he’s about to say something else and you wait with bated breath, quite unable to tear your gaze away from his.

“If you’ll come with me, Colonel Phillips is already waiting in the War Room.” Agent Carter is the one who speaks, and suddenly the rest of the room– the people surrounding you and the gravitas of the situation– leaps sharply back into focus and you can only hope that your embarrassment doesn’t show too obviously.

You push through the awkwardness and the tension lingering in the air and force out a reply.

“Yes, of course. Lead the way, ma’am.”

Once you’ve been ushered into the main room of the command center and introduced to Colonel Phillips, the rest of the meeting passes smoothly. Of the five new HYDRA bases whose locations you had discovered, the SSR had already been aware of three- and yet, one of the bigger ones is not on their map and the Colonel is more than happy with the information you supply.

And once you’re finished giving them every single detail you can, you’re dismissed. Before you can actually get around to leaving the base, though, Captain Rogers catches up to you, leaving you no option but to walk along with him and wait nervously to see what he wants.

Just when you think you’re going to burst with anticipation, he speaks up.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” he says, voice soft and somehow different from the firm tone he had used before. You look up at him, surprised, only to find that he is already glancing at you from the corner of his eyes. Immediately you feel the heat rising in your cheeks but you manage to reply nonetheless.

“Please, there’s no need to apologize. You thought that was your key, right?”

It is his turn to look surprised, eyes widening, as he gives you yet another once-over, as if trying to figure something out.

 “How did you know?”

“What else could it be, Captain? You didn’t even know me- there was no reason for you to be.. wary.”

He falls silent for a moment, and you can tell that he is considering your words rather seriously. You remain silent too, still stuck on wondering why someone so.. well, a hero like him, would ever think you of all people could be his partner.

“Well, I’m glad you’re not offended,” he offers you a smile that is mostly shy and all of a sudden you are hit with a blast of deja vu. And you wonder if this is what he had felt earlier, if this is why he thought you might be the one to hold his key.

After all, there is something achingly familiar about this man, something that has been drawing you to him ever since you laid eyes on him.

“Of course not,” you reply, some measure of confidence returning to you as you manage a smile of your own, and with the next words out of your mouth you shock even yourself, “though if you’re still looking to make amends- I wouldn’t say no to a drink. It’s been a hellish week, and I don’t really know London”

To his credit, he only stares slack-jawed for a few seconds before swallowing once, hard, and meeting your gaze with a strangely focused expression that has your heart skipping a beat.

“I know just the place.”

His eyes are practically dancing with some inexplicable emotion– happiness? excitement? hope? you can’t quite tell– as he offers you his arm, and you find yourself grinning from ear to ear as you take it.

**Author's Note:**

> The title of this fic is for the song by The Frames.


End file.
